It was supposed to be her first major public appearance in months – but now Queen Elizabeth II will not attend the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey next week. The 95-year-old asked her son Prince Charles to represent her, Buckingham Palace said in London today. The announcement fueled new concerns regarding the health of the British monarch.
Commonwealth Day is a major holiday in Britain, with around 1,500 guests gathering at Westminster Abbey on Monday. The participation of the Queen should actually send a sign that the monarch is fit once more following months of poor health. But now she is represented by her 73-year-old son, heir to the throne Prince Charles. The palace did not give reasons for this decision.
Recently, the Queen has repeatedly had health problems. In October last year, she even had to spend a night in the hospital. Since then, she has rarely been seen in public – and when she did, she was often seen with a walking stick.
On February 20, Buckingham Palace announced that the 95-year-old had contracted the corona virus. However, she only suffered from “mild” cold-like symptoms and went into isolation.
